Overall objectives
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities play a critical role in national and local responses to
emergencies, such as communicable disease epidemics.
This document provides information on how these facilities can fulfil this role. Most of the actions required to prepare for epidemics apply, or can be adapted to, the management of other emergencies2
, such as mass casualties due to transport crashes, hydro-meteorological, geological or chemical disasters, and so on. Hospitals which have already drawn up plans for managing epidemics can use this guide to review their preparedness and, if necessary, to update their epidemic response plans and their capacity to implement these plans. Hospitals which do not have response plans can use the guide to make a start in the planning process and in adjusting their plans to respond to an epidemic.
The main target audience for this guide is hospital management, hospital emergency committees and staff who have responsibility for establishing and maintaining the preparedness of hospitals for epidemics. The information is relevant for public, private, non-government and other hospitals. The wider audience are all stakeholders across many sectors including governments, health authorities, financial institutions, disaster management organizations and local suppliers which support and contribute to hospital preparedness, for example, through policy guidance, health sector and intersectoral coordination for emergency preparedness and response and provision of water, power and medical supplies and equipment.